Time For Some "Changes".

After yesterday's dismal display against an Aston Villa team who thoroughly deserved to beat us the manager is going to have to think long and hard about the team selection for our next game away to Man City. Not only that he will also have to get his scouts working very hard and find us some top class experienced players to bring to the club in January. I also think that we are getting out thought tactically by our opponents too often. For instance we have played 2 teams who are strong and physical at the back recently in Stoke and Aston Villa and the manager has played bring strong centre forwards against them. Surely we should be using Vela or Walcott

or even Simpson up front against them to try to play the ball on the ground or in behind the defence. He got the tactics right for the United game but too often he has got them wrong recently. At various stages this season we have had Adebayor and Bendtner up front together and that just isn't Arsenal. The manager has to think long and hard about his tactics and team selection ahead of each individual game. I thought he would play 4-5-1 against Villa and I was right. Maybe if he showed some balls and played Vela from the start we might have played better football.

Almunia has called for changes today but obviously he won't say who he thinks should be out of the team. I thought he did OK yesterday but after saving a penalty he was somewhat at fault for their second goal and he could be involved in the changes he has called for. Cesc will be suspended for our next league game at Man City and it will be interesting to see who takes his place. Will we see the usual option of one of the regulars or will the boss be brave and play Rambo or Wilshere. Maybe he'll play them both but I'm worried that he'll leave our wide players out again and play defensively. We will get plenty of chances against City if we attack them or play on the break and we need players in the team who will score them.Yesterday again both Cesc and Nasri were poor and Cesc's form is very poor at the moment and Nasri seems to be a bit up and down to say the least. Some players seem to be immune to being dropped though. I would play Rambo, Fabianski, Djourou & Vela at City if it were up to me. RVP will be back from suspension but I would leave him on the bench to teach him to behave like a grown up. Appearently he reacted to Sorensen calling him what every child in a playground calls every other child or what The Spuds fans call Sol Campbell. Ahead of that game Sagna will be out for a few weeks and I think Kolo has looked good at right back recently so I expect him to start there.

Back to yesterday's game and our complaints about Villa's goals. Sagna was down injured when they scored their first but it is up to the referee to stop the game and Villa were well within their rights to play on. It wasn't like Martin Jol telling his players to play on against us a couple of years ago. We need to be that ruthless ourselves at times. If the referee blows then stop but otherwise play on regardless. That goal came from a cross in Sagna's position with Gallas covering the fallen player and Clichy covering Gallas. His luck ran out and the own goal he almost scored last week, he did score this week. As for the second goal it seemed to be fairly obvious that Vela was taken down but again the referee didn't blow and Villa took advantage. Gallas was done for pace and strength by that lanky git and Almunia stayed on his line for too long. The luck we got last week went the other way this week with their goals but make no mistake they fully deserved to win. I haven't mentioned the performance of Bendtner yet but I was disappointed to say the least. As a target man the ball didn't stick to him and his first touch was poor. He's had a chance in the last few games with RVP and/or Adebayor out but he hasn't played well in any of them.

In other news we have been linked with Diego of Werder Bremen but it would be pointless to sign him as we have Cesc, Rambo and Wilshere and we have also been linked with Joe Ledley of Cardiff but nothing can happen until January obviously. RVP has appearently agreed to sign a double your money new contract. The manager is turning down loan requests for for the youngsters every day appearently. Our Ladies beat Forest 5-0 today to continue their fine league form.

The question being asked everywhere is - are Arsenal out of the race for the league. I firmly believed that we could not win the league at the start of the season with the squad we had unless we strengthened in the 2 obvious areas before the transfer window closed. When we didn't strengthen I said we had to play for 3rd or 4th and try to win the FA Cup and sadly I have been proved right. Make no mistake, this squad is not good enough to win the league and the players we bring in when we make changes only make the situation worse(Eboue & Song). We need more strength and more flair. The flair is at the club but the strength has to be bought. I would love a 6' 5" centre back who kicks or heads anything that moves and a central midfielder in Paddy Vieira's mould. I know they won't be easy to find but we need them now. That's my rant over for today.

I'll leave you with the highlights(or lowlights as we should call them) of yesterday's game with thanks to boxofficefootball again.

http://www.boxofficefootball.com/index.php?s=arsenal+v+aston+villa

And to finish some Music from David Bowie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl3vxEudif8

See You Tomorrow.